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There’s fury in Belize after a construction company nearly destroyed a Mayan temple to extract crushed rock for a road building project.

The Nohmul complex, one of the largest Mayan structures in the country, dates back at 2,300 years.

The government said it had launched a “vigorous” investigation into what happened.

Jamie Awe, Head of the Belize Institute of Archaeology said:

“Having to see the images of the destruction at Nohmul is in many ways probably one of the worst sort of blows I have felt philosophically and professionally in that regard – because what happened there is both deplorable and unforgivable.”

Archaeological experts say that bulldozing Mayan mounds to use for roads is not uncommon in Belize. The country is dotted with hundreds of ancient ruin sites, though few as large as Nohmul.